Rossa cut out individualism to outplay Knocknagree
Knocknagree's Gary O'Connor races out of defence past Paudie Crowley of O'Donovan Rossa in the Bon Secours Cork SAFC at Macroom. Pic: Denis Minihane.
Both O’Donovan Rossa and Knocknagree have been there or thereabouts in the Bons Secours Cork SAFC over the past few years with both sides falling to eventual champions, St Michael’s, last year. Therefore, it was inevitable that a large crowd would gather in Tom Creedon Park on Saturday to see if these Group A contenders were still in the mix.
Based on this encounter, they will be, even if both sides have plenty to work on after Rossa’s well-earned, and deserved, win. Ultimately it was Dónal Óg Hodnett’s goal midway through the first half and Thomas Hegarty’s major just after the break that earned Rossa top spot in the group alongside Kanturk. Their manager, Gene O’Donovan, had plenty to be pleased with, but there was one thing that pleased him more than anything.
“Togetherness. I asked them during the week if we could get rid of the individualism because there are a lot of good individual players there. We wanted to work as a team, work as a unit, and I think that’s what we saw today. That to me was the most pleasing aspect, everyone backed each other. When some fella shouted at another fella to move into a position, he did it, and he didn’t question it.”
That feature of their play was evident in a first half that saw them manage the game well while playing into a stiff breeze. Michael McSweeney had two early points for Knocknagree before points from Dylan Hourihane and Kevin Davis for Rossa sandwiched an Anthony O’Connor point to leave his side leading by 0-3 to 0-2. Ryan Price, “the best goalkeeper in Cork” according to O’Donovan, then saved brilliantly from David O’Connor to keep the deficit manageable.
Rossa trailed by 0-5 to 0-3 when they struck for the key score of the half. Kevin Hurley found Hegarty with an incisive pass and he in turn put Dónal Óg Hodnett through and Hodnett rippled Patrick Doyle’s net. Davis then twice traded frees with Anthony O’Connor to leave the Skibb side one in front at the break.
They rode the momentum of the goal after the interval, as Dylan Hourihane doubled their lead before being denied a goal by a superb save from Doyle. Anthony O’Connor responded for the Duhallow men, but then Hegarty was put through by Hourihane, and he slotted home their second goal. Seán Fitzgerald then made it 2-7 to 0-8, and Knocknagree were in big trouble.
Points from Denis and Anthony O’Connor did reduce the deficit to a goal with 15 to play, but with their side now playing into a squall as well as a breeze, scores were hard to come by. Rossa defended superbly, with the other Dylan Hourihane excellent at corner-back and Paudie Crowley solid at six, as they forced Knocknagree into speculative efforts from distance that saw the Duhallow side register seven second-half wides.
However, key to Rossa’s success was their midfield duo of Rory Byrne and Jamie Shanahan.
“They’ll give trouble to a lot of teams, I think. I don’t want to put a curse on them, obviously, but Jamie is an absolutely brilliant asset and to be brutally honest I think he might have been the missing link to what we had last year up in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Not only is he good on the ball, but he breaks up an awful lot of play as well with his reading of the game and he’s an absolutely fabulous young fella to work with.”
Points from Kevin Davis and David Shannon sandwiched a Denis O’Connor point in the last quarter, as there was to be no denying Rossa who will play Kanturk next time out, while Knocknagree will take on Fermoy.
K Davis (0-4, frees), D Óg Hodnett and T Hegarty (1-0 each), D Hourihane (0-2), R Byrne, S Fitzgerald and D Shannon (0-1 each)
A O’Connor (0-5, 0-4 frees, 0-1 mark), Denis O’Connor and M McSweeney (0-2 each), David O’Connor and J Dennehy (0-1 each).
R Price; D O’Donovan, D Daly, D Hourihane; K Hurley, P Crowley, S Fitzgerald; R Byrne, J Shanahan; B Crowley, D Óg Hodnett, N Daly; T Hegarty, K Davis, D Hourihane.
E Connolly for Daly (40), D Shannon for Hegarty (46).
P Doyle; D Mahoney, K Buckley, G O’Connor; D Moynihan, D O’Mahony, M Mahoney (c); T O’Mahoney, DV O’Connor; M McSweeney, J Dennehy, E McSweeney; D O’Connor, T O’Connor, A O’Connor.
K Cronin for M McSweeney (21, inj), N O’Connor for Dennehy (h/t).
Canice Walsh (Nemo Rangers).
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